Gansler Vows 'All-Out Assault' on Bay Polluters

Douglas F. Gansler gives son Will a tie adjustment before being sworn in as Maryland's first new attorney general in two decades. Gansler pledged to aggressively address environmental problems of the Chesapeake Bay. (By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)

Douglas F. Gansler, Montgomery County's longtime prosecutor, pledged an "all-out assault" on those who pollute the Chesapeake Bay as he was sworn into office yesterday as Maryland's first new attorney general in two decades.

In the Senate's marbled chamber in Annapolis, where the outgoing Republican governor administered the oath of office, Gansler, a Democrat, ticked off a list of the estuary's environmental woes. He cited swimming bans at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis and declining oyster harvests, saying, "Some fish don't even know if they're boys or girls anymore -- it's gotten that bad.

"We're going to wage an all-out assault on those who pollute our air and water," Gansler said.

The pledges echoed campaign promises that helped carry Gansler to a comfortable victory in November in his bid to fill the seat left vacant by J. Joseph Curran Jr., a fellow Democrat who, after two decades as the state's chief legal officer, decided not to run for another term.

Gansler, 44, had been Montgomery state's attorney since 1998. He drew attention last year by winning convictions against John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the snipers who terrorized the region in 2002.

Despite the dire proclamations about the health of the bay, yesterday's ceremony in many respects had the feeling of a family affair. Gansler spoke of his wife, Laura, and their two sons, who, he jokingly said, did not understand the concept of spending $2 million to win a job that pays $125,000 a year.

The ceremony was emceed by Gansler's father, an undersecretary of defense in the Clinton administration, who shares his son's gift for ease with public speaking.

"Tell a joke," Gansler called out to his father as the crowd waited for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to arrive.

Jacques S. Gansler did not exactly tell a joke, but laughter rippled across the chamber as he spoke of his efforts years ago at the Pentagon to start meetings on time. The elder Gansler spoke of close media scrutiny -- "abuse from the press," he called it -- and said public service is often not rewarding.

"I'm so pleased that my son's willing to take that kind of responsibility on," he said.

Ehrlich, who leaves office this month, arrived a moment later to administer the oath to Gansler. Afterward, Gansler and the governor shared a hug and patted each other on the back.

In his address, Gansler said he was "very, very, very honored" that Ehrlich participated in the ceremony. "I look forward to being your lawyer for the next two weeks," Gansler told the governor.